Work in the Community

Cognia Law Corporate Social Responsibility Mission Statement

At Cognia Law, we centre our approach to Corporate Social Responsibility on the company's core values, which include striving to be a world class organisation and putting people first. In addition, we strive to align our corporate governance structures with ethical standards and international best practice. We further recognise the need for responsible, sustainable and value-adding corporate involvement in the communities in which our business operates.

As such, we at Cognia Law strive to be leaders in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility and recognise that in doing so, we will not only create value for the company and its shareholders, but also all company stakeholders and the surrounding community.

Community development through education

At Cognia Law we embrace the words of former South African president, Nelson Mandela when he said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." As part of our commitment to sustainable development through education, we have formed a relationship with IkamvaYouth. Our involvement in IkamvaYouth includes providing probono access to the company's legal services expertise, raising funds and facilitating the participation of members of our team in IkamvaYouth's various volunteering opportunities.

About IkamvaYouth

IkamvaYouth is a by-youth–for–youth South African organisation that enables disadvantaged youth from townships to pull themselves and each other out of poverty through education.

High school learners from Grades 8–12 from schools around South Africa participate in after–school tutoring, career guidance and mentoring provided by volunteers. The majority of IkamvaYouth's volunteers are ex-beneficiaries who have returned to pay–it–forward. IkamvaYouth's learners' school-leaving results have consistently surpassed national averages, showing that the odds can indeed be overcome. Some research shows that only 4-5% of learners from South African townships access tertiary education (college or university), yet over 60% of IkamvaYouth's learners have accessed tertiary since the organisation's inception. In addition, a survey of IkamvaYouth's alumni further demonstrated that the median income of Ikamvanites exceeded that of their peers by three times.

One of the many examples of incredible achievement comes from Tiyiselani, who joined the Ebony Park branch in 2012 as a Grade 10 learner, when she was really struggling at school. Soon her results began to shoot up, and they didn't stop. She achieved six distinctions (first-class passes) in Grade 12, and has been accepted to study actuarial science at the University of Cape Town.